SBS prices move up but jury's still out on how much

摘要

Solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard grade producers began implementing a 40/ton increase over the last few weeks but there are mixed opinions if it will be fully or partially implemented in the USA, sources said last week. There are cracks in demand, according to sources. Several contacts are "fighting" the increase or forcing producers to delay or at least piece-meal the increase over the spring, due in part to some converters' inability to pass on the increase to their customers. Converters are squeezed between producers pushing through price increases due to higher input costs and their customers pushing back on the increases.